The National Trust says the foot-and-mouth outbreak will cost the charity between �7m and �8m in lost revenue.

The cancellation of conservation holidays caused a drastic drop in revenues.

Historic buildings and gardens had to close, partly because of difficulties caused by movement restrictions.

In the first days after the February outbreak there were appeals for people to avoid the countryside if necessary.

Despite later appeals for daytrippers to return to rural areas, many tourist attractions are yet to recover.

Carcass pyres

The restrictions and slump led to the loss of all visitor income to places such as Beatrix Potter's home in the Lake District and Hadrian's Wall.

The government said the foreign media's constant reporting of carcass pyres stopped visitors coming from abroad.

Their publicity drive was too late to save many heritage locations from taking a major hit.

Since the outbreak started on 19 February, more than 2,030 cases of foot-and-mouth have been confirmed with nearly four million animals culled and a further two million killed for welfare reasons.

Meanwhile the House of Lords has been told the government will not intervene in the internal politics of the trust.

The debate on Monday followed complaints about the way the charity handled the hunting ban on its land and other issues.